Euphorbia milii plant named ‘Dinos’

ABSTRACT

A new distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia milii  plant named ‘Dinos’, characterized by its yellow-green floral bract color from RHS 145C to about RHS 10C, with diffuse margins of RHS 36A light red; compact plant form; very dense and bushy plant form; vigorous growth habit; large flowers on thick gray-green peduncles, RHS 195A.

Genus and species of the plant claimed: Euphorbia milii Desmoul.

Variety denomination: ‘Dinos’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia milii plant, botanically known as Euphorbia milli Desmoul., commonly known by the name Crown of Thorns, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dinos’.

The new Euphorbia milii is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor, Steen Thomsen, in Haarslev,Fyn, Denmark. The new Euphorbia milii originated from a cross made in 2001 by the Inventor with unnamed cultivars of Euphorbia milii Desmoul. The male and female parental cultivars are unnamed, unpatented seedlings of Euphorbia milii Desmoul. The Inventor selected the new Euphorbia milii cultivar as a single plant from the progeny of the above crossing in 2001 on the basis of flower color and compact, freely branching habit. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii are upright, compact and have a unique color and abundant large flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken and propagated and trial production batches in Denmark, has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia milii are stable and reproduced true to type in many successive generations of asexual reproductions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Dinos’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, day length, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dinos’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dinos’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Yellow-green floral bract color from RHS 145C to about RHS         10C, with diffuse margins of RHS 36A light red.     -   2. Very dense and bushy plant form.     -   3. Vigorous growth habit.     -   4. Large flowers on thick gray-green peduncles, RHS 195A.

Plants of the cultivar ‘Dinos’ are distinguished from the parental cultivars primarily in floral bract coloration.

Plants of the cultivar ‘Dinos’ can be compared to plants of the cultivar Euphorbia milii ‘Themis’ (unpatented). In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Haarslev, Denmark, plants of the cultivar ‘Dinos’ and the cultivar ‘Themis’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have striking yellow-green         floral bracts and staminate cyathia with yellow red-margined         glands.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have larger dark green         leaves.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have shorter and stiffer         peduncles than plants of the cultivar ‘Themis’.     -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia milii are more compact than the         plants of the cultivar ‘Themis’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance and details of flower form, color and structures of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Euphorbia milii.

The photograph shows a side view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dinos’, as grown in an 11 cm pot.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 4^(th) edition, where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions. Plants used for this description were grown for about 19 weeks after cutting and produced in 11 cm pots. Other pot sizes can be used and the plants are intended for indoor use or as a bedding plant in temperate climates although it is a perennial garden plant in tropical and subtropical areas.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia milii Desmoul. cultivar ‘Dinos’.     Euphorbiaceae, Spurge family.     -   -   Common English name.—Crown of Thorns. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed seedling plant of Euphorbia milii.         -   Male parent.—Unnamed seedling plant of Euphorbia milii. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings taken from plants             kept in the vegetative stage by shading and high             temperatures (25C).         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 18 to 21 C in             tunnels in a greenhouse.         -   Root description.—Fine, well branched. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial plant with upright plant habit. Euphorbia             milii ‘Dinos’ flowers in cymes with cyathia subtended by             colored bracts. Freely branching with about 8 lateral             flowering branches forming at every node; dense and bushy.             Stems are square to pentagonal with ridges — about 10 mm             thick at the base. By each node appears groups of thorns: 1             large 7 mm and 2-4 smaller 3-5 mm. Young thorns are green:             145A; while the older ones becomes stiffer and changes color             to gray (201B).         -   Crop time.—After rooting, about 19 weeks are required to             produce finished flowering plants in 11 cm pots.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of plant plane).—About             13 cm. Width: 20 cm.         -   Vigor.—Vigorous growth rate.         -   Foliage description.—Leaves alternate, single, obovate,             entire. Length: 8.5 cm. Width: About 35 mm. Apex: acute.             Base: cuneate to almost decussate Texture: smooth, waxy,             dull. glabrous. Color: Young foliage, upper and lower             surfaces: 138A and 148C, respectively. Mature foliage, upper             and lower surfaces: 139C and 138A respectively. Venation,             139B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Floral arrangements composed             of cymes. The flowers (cyathia) are starkly reduced so only             a gland and the reproductive organs are present. Subtending             the cyathia are two colored bracts. The flowers are further             complicated by the unique feature of funnel shaped floral             buds appearing at the base of the bracts in two or more             layers.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous throughout the spring             and summer in subtropical and tropical regions. In colder             climates season can be extended by greenhouse production             with high temperatures and supplementary irradiance.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—5 to 9 weeks longevity of             individual flowers is highly dependent on temperature and             light conditions. Bracts turn green with age. Entire cymes             drop after withering.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3-6 cm, height: 8 cm.         -   Flowers.—4 mm diameter, Bracts: overlapping at base, ovoid             to inverted cordate, approximately 2 cm in length by 3 cm in             width, color from 145C, yellow-green to about 10C, yellow             with margins of 36 A, light red (both surfaces).         -   Glands.—5, from 5A shiny yellow with a thin margin of 30A,             red to 22A yellow-orange during development.         -   Anthers.—Appear after flowers mature; stamen and pollen             color 15A, yellow-orange, Pistil and stigma, Appear before             cyathia mature; color 1D, greenish-yellow.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: strong. Length: About 5-7 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Color: 195A, gray-green at an angle of 30°.         -   Pedicels.—2 cm. long, 2 mm thick; strong; color: 144B,             yellow-green.         -   Weather tolerance.—Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have             exhibited good tolerance to draught, rain and wind, however             flowering may cease during cold and dark periods (<15C).         -   Pest tolerance.—Plants of the new Euphorbia milii have             exhibited good tolerance to following fungi: Mildew, and             Thivaliopsis. Also, they appear to be less infected by             Thrips (Franklinellea). 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia milii plant named ‘Dinos’, as illustrated and described herein. 